A Sunset Record
by rokubi-raijuu
Summary: When Dawn is heading home one day and stops by an alleyway to pick up something she dropped prior to the moment, she encounters a childhood friend who has a fatal secret to divulge to her. Oneshot. AU.


Wow, I wrote this in like an hour and it's been a while since I've done appealshipping. Please forgive me if it isn't quite so good. ^^; It's also quite different from my previous oneshots, and of a different flavor.

Anyway, please R&R.

Oh, also. I _know_ I went way out of line with Kenny's personality, but I had to have someone play the part. So please don't flame me about his role in the story.

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When she had said the day before that they might not ever see a sunset so beautiful again, Dawn hadn't meant it like this. And she didn't think the beautiful redhead sitting next to her on the brick ledge had either.

Everything had happened so fast. And she had never known. Oh god, she had never known Kenny could be like this.

"You can't possibly know what you've done to me." His voice was so full of spite, the kind of spite that only developes in a person when they have born pain for too long. "All this time, I tried so hard. And you couldn't even turn your head to look at me. You've ruined everything, Dawn, everything."

The day was drawing to a close, and the complacent sun was dipping slowly below the horizon, saying farewell to the world with its final glowing rays casting brilliant reds and yellows across the evening sky. Just twenty four hours ago, this spectacle was beautiful, filled with promise and hope, and now... now, those streaks among the stars seemed more like blood. Trapped in the alleyway that she had gone into to look for a jacket she had dropped there a couple days ago, Dawn was becoming more and more terrified by the second, unable to take a step or even breathe too heavily for fear of inducing more of the boy's wrath. Her pale arms were wrapped around her slim body in a feeble attempt to protect herself and make herself smaller under the onslaught of this maniac. She was trembling, but hardly because it was cold, though the day was rather chilly. It was a cloudy late Fall evening, but she knew she would never see another one unless she made it out of here alive.

The boy was hardly seventeen, and his scrawny arms and quivering hands looked distortedly out of place holding a rifle. She didn't know where he had gotten it from, but she had heard his father hunted for sport, so maybe that was where. He looked so different from the round-faced child she had played with at parties when she'd been younger. His ruddy brown hair had gone uncombed for who-knew-how-long, and he was crying. There were tears collecting in the corners of his eyes, but the insanity in those dark brown irises betrayed his lack of emotion. Or the fact that he was too far gone to realize what he was doing. She didn't know if he knew how to use what he was holding, or if he was aware that it could kill, but she didn't want to risk questioning.

"But... a-aren't we... friends? Kenny, w-we're-"

His abrupt and almost forced laughter cut off the remainder of her timid statement, causing her to wince and back up a step or two for fear he was actually going to shoot. "That's funny, Dawn. You're funny. You were always funny, you know? But that's not going to get you anywhere this time."

She was truly terrified now. Her heart was racing against her rib cage, and somehow she knew this was going to be the end. He had lost it, completely. This boy that she used to call her friend and rival had somehow gone insane and was going to kill her. He had her cornered here and he was going to shoot her and that would be the end of everything-

"I used to love you, Dawn. I did. Can you believe it? I used to love a selfish, cold-hearted monster like you. But I've since grown to hate you because I've seen how you don't even realize I exist."

"That's not true, I-"

"Shut up! I can't hear anymore of what you're saying. You're nothing but a monster to turn your back on someone who loved you so much. So your life is going to end right here."

Dawn squeezed her eyes shut and cringed as she heard the telltale click of the rifle being set. But after a few seconds, still nothing happened. It was only when Kenny spoke again that she dared open her eyes. "Did you think I meant your physical life? Oh no, Dawn, don't you get it that that would be too nice? I know where your life belongs, I know what your life is because I've heard you say it to her over and over, that _girl_ that you abandoned me for. You haven't physically killed me but you left me an empty shell, and that's what I'm going to do to you."

"... I don't..." But then Dawn did. Then she understood. All of a sudden, she knew what he meant, and he laughed when he saw the comprehension dawn on her face. The horror was clear in her eyes, and she gasped. "Oh god, no Kenny. Please don't - anything but-!"

"Dawn? Is that you? Gosh I'm glad I finally found you." The voice was unmistakable, and on any other clear night it would be music to the blue haired girl's ears, but tonight, it spelled nothing but terror for her. Zoey rounded the corner of the alleyway, her hands tucked securely into the pockets of her jeans and a calm, relieved expression on her face. The night wind ruffled the mess of red hair atop her head, and her eyes spoke nothing but affection for the girl. However, it flickered to confusion when she saw Kenny in front of her and Dawn beyond him, backed against the wall of the alleyway. It turned then to alarm and worry at the sight of the lifted rifle.

"Zoey, no!" Urgency raced through Dawn's mind as she dashed forward, uncaring now for her own life. "Please Kenny, don't!"

The boy smiled. "Perfect."

"No!"

xxx

"You know, this might be the last sunset we see that's this beautiful, ever."

The redhead glanced down with curiosity at the girl whose head lay contently on her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"Well," from her sideways line of sight, Dawn gazed up at the brilliant colors strewn across the sky like those on an artist's palette, "have you ever seen a sunset so beautiful? I haven't, that's for sure." Together and alone, the young couple sat peacefully on a brick wall not high off the ground. It was getting late, so they were the only ones there amidst the trees and sidewalk, sharing the moment. They made a gentle contrast - the redhead in a long sleeved shirt and jeans and Dawn in a long dress.

"... No, I guess not," Zoey replied, turning her gaze back up to the sky where the sun was saying goodbye to yet another day. Things were quiet again for a while, the only noise given the wind rustling gently through the swaying leaves high in the trees, whistling about the grass and tangling around the two girls before moving on.

"You're my life, Zoey," Dawn spoke again, and the redhead couldn't conceal a smile as she reached up a hand to run her fingers through Dawn's long hair. "And I wouldn't be able to live without you."

xxx

Everything was gone now. The whole world had come splintering down around her like glass shatters, littering the ground at her feet. Kenny's footsteps growing quieter down the sidewalk could no longer be heard by her as she fell to her knees beside the still body of the girl she called her life.

"Zoey, Zoey, no. Hold on, please don't die. Don't die." Tears began to pour uncontrallably down her face, and it was this that caused the redhead to manage a weak frown. "We'll get you to a hospital. You've got to hold on."

"Dawn, it's okay... it'll be okay..." Her voice was incredibly weak, and the blood that pooled about her from the wound to her chest drained her energy further with every passing moment. Her lips quivered to a weak smile, and she moved her hand so it rested on Dawn's. Almost desperately, she responded by lacing her fingers with Zoey's and clutching her hand as if that would make her live. "It'll be okay..." Zoey repeated, "you've got to be strong. You've got so much ahead of you."

How could she remain so calm? How could Zoey be so calm at a time like this? Her entire life was falling down around her, and she somehow was so serene in the face of it all. "No, please Zoey. I've got nothing without you. Don't go. Please, you can't die. You can't."

"You've got everything, Dawn. Go, girl. Go and... break a leg."

When her eyes at last glazed over and the grip on Dawn's hand slackened, and the shaky rising and falling of her chest had finally stopped, Dawn's breath caught in her throat for a moment. This couldn't be. Zoey couldn't be dead. Tough, confident Zoey... she wouldn't die so easily. _This can't be happening..._ "Zoey... Zoey..." she repeated her name over and over, a broken record to match a broken heart, as the sun slowly finished its descent below the horizon and the rays vanished into a starless night.


End file.
